During the replacement of brake rotors on an automobile, the wheel hub surface should be cleaned to remove rust and debris. This is necessary to ensure correct seating of the rotor and wheel onto the automobile. Failure to properly clean the wheel hub can result in poor brake rotor alignment, which can lead to performance issues such as pulsation and uneven brake pad wear. One method of cleaning the wheel hub surface is use of abrasive articles on power tools, such as die grinders. A problem with the use of power tools is the distance between the studs (lugs) and the center bore area of the wheel hub is smaller than the outer diameter of the backup pad typically mounted on the tool. The artisan must change to a smaller diameter backup pad and abrasive on the tool or clean with hand-held abrasives. Neither of these options is desirable or typically pursued.
There are commercially available tools sold as “Wheel Hub Refinishing Kits”. An example is product number AST7896 available from Stempf Automotive Industries manufactured by Astro Pneumatic Tool Company. This product consists of a hollow mandrel about 2.5 inches long with a shank on one end to fit into a drill chuck. The opposite side of the holder is a ring of hook fastener material. The kit comes with donut-shaped nonwoven abrasives with a loop material bonded on one side to attach to the hooks on the holder. In operation, the holder and abrasive are aligned such that the stud is positioned below the tool opening and the holder is lowered until the abrasive contacts the work surface. While these products have been available for several years, they have performance limitations. For example, the system is not designed for use on the high-speed die grinders found in the typical automotive shop because at high speeds, the nonwoven abrasive consumable is jettisoned from the holder. When the system is used on a lower speed drill, the hooks are prone to being sheared off due to the artisan's tendency to use excessive pressure in an attempt to increase the speed of the cleaning operation. A further disadvantage is that the coaxial alignment of the abrasive material with the tool is subject to operator positioning errors that can lead to “wobble” and ultimately, disengagement of the abrasive material from the tool.
There is a continuing need for improved abrasive articles for cleaning areas around studs, including abrasive articles that work effectively with high-speed rotary power tools.